Chinese takeaways are the most popular delivery treat in the UK – each one of us spends about £513 on them each year on average – and, whether you’re enjoying one to celebrate Chinese New Year and the Year of the Pig, or just because you love this tasty treat, there’s no escaping the fact that every Chinese takeaway we have comes with plenty of calories that we don’t necessarily need.
That’s why we’ve taken Britain’s favourite Chinese takeaway dishes and come up with some fun ideas on how best to get rid of those troublesome extra calories. These are workouts you can do at home, out on the pavements or in your local Everyone Active centre to help you shift those Kung Pao calories.
We’ve worked out the calories burnt for the average UK adult. Naturally, how many you specifically burn will vary according to your height and weight.
The UK’s Favourite Chinese Takeaway Treats
Prawn Crackers – 527 calories per portion
This staple snack is a favourite with just about everyone, but you might want to be careful with just how many you eat as they’re very high in calories and easy to absent-mindedly nibble on. It’ll take around an hour’s cycling at an average of 12mph to burn off the 527 calories those crackers have given you.
Chicken Chow Mein – 516 calories per portion
As the UK’s favourite Chinese takeaway dish, it’s likely you’ll be eating plenty of this, so you may want to start jumping in the pool to burn off the extra calories. You’ll need to do an hour’s front crawl at a relatively slow pace in order to burn off a portion of chow mein’s chunky 516 calories.
Vegetable Spring rolls – 148 calories each
Another favourite that’s easy to over-indulge on. These crispy, flavoursome delights will need you to do some serious climbing – 350 steps to be precise – to work off the calories you’ll find in each Chinese takeaway. They’re worth it though, aren’t they?
Crispy Aromatic Duck in Pancakes – 103 calories per Pancake
The perfect starter to any Chinese takeaway, these soft pancakes, filled with crispy, unctuous duck meat, sweet hoisin sauce and crunchy, refreshing veg may taste great, but they come packed with calories. If you want to get rid of those extras, you’ll need to go for a 20 minute walk at a steady pace to burn off each one you’ve had.
Egg-fried rice – 238 calories per serving
Nothing soaks up the Chinese takeaway sauce quite like some delicious fried rice and it’s in its egg fried form that we Brits like it best. To work off each portion you have with your main, however, you’ll need to do some serious work, jogging for around 25 minutes and an average of 5mph.
Sweet and Sour Chicken – 460 calories per serving
Our final Chinese takeaway favourite is another high calorie one and you’ll need to do plenty of exercise to burn them off. Book yourself onto one of our BODYPUMP fitness classes and, 45 minutes in, you’ll have burnt off those 460 calories.